Airway



Aug. 27, 1968 v, H RAlMO 3,398,747

AIRWAY Filed Jan. e, 196e INVENTOR.

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E@ @MM45 nted States Parent O 3,398,747 AIRWAY Victor H. Raimo, 214Ballentine Parkway, Newark, NJ. 07104 Filed Jan. 6, 1966, Ser. No.519,126 Claims. (Cl. 12S-351) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Airway devicesfor introduction through a patients mouth to the trachea area of thethroat have an elongated body having a straight portion adjacent themouth and a curved pharyngeal portion. The body of the airway is made upof at top and bottom walls spaced apart, but connected by an interveningstrut formation extending along the medial line of the body and havingperiodic open lateral passages therethrough. The cross section of thestrut is similar to two pyramids having their bases in contact with thetop and bottom walls and their apices joined in a relatively flexiblejuncture permitting pivoted movement of the top and bottom wallstogether on one side and apart on the other side, thus preventingcomplete occlusion of the air passage by biting pressure on the top andbottom walls.

This invention relates to an improved airway device for introductioninto the mouth of surgical or other patients, to prevent suffocation ofthe patient.

It has long been the practice to employ a device to assure passage ofair through to the trachea of anesthetized patients in order to preventsulfocation during and subsequent to surgery. In previous devices forthis purpose, faults have been noted with respect thereto. One suchfault is due to the fact that said previous devices are not efcient inthe provision of air passage means that are adapted to avoid clogging byaccumulation of fluids therein and in the patients trachea, whichclogging may cause suffocation. Furthermore, said previous devices werenot well adapted to resist collapse and closing of their air passages,when subject to pressure of biting teeth of a patient served thereby.

It is an object of the present invention, to provide an airway devicewhich is well adapted,'under conditions of use, to assure unobstructedpassage of air through the mouth to the patients trachea, while at thesame time avoiding risk of collapse and closing of the air passage paththerethrough under biting pressure of the patients teeth.

It is a further object of this invention to provide, at all times inuse, an open passage through the airway device, for introductiontherethrough into the trachea, of a suction tube for removal of anyaccumulation of air passage obstructing uids.

It is another object of this invention to provide an airway devicehaving outwardly open and oppositely directed side air passage channels,extending throughout the length thereof, together withintercommunicating openings therebetween, whereby discharge therefrom ofany uids tending to accumulate therein and obstruct the same is greatlyenhanced.

A further object of this invention is to provide an airway device whichcan be produced in one-piece as an integral structure from a suitableplastic, such e.g. as polyethylene, and which is so shaped andconstructed that, when in place under use conditions, it is adapted tolift the epiglottis and straighten the tracheal curve, whereby to avoidreduction and partial obstruction of the tracheal passage.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an airway devicethe air passages of which are defined by separated top and bottom walls,having intermediate, longitudinally spaced apart, interconnecting strutsof novel formation and disposition, which struts are adapted to yield tobiting pressure of a patient, served by the device, so that the top andbottom walls will move in relation one to the other, whereby tendency toclose together and constrict one side air passage will automaticallyopen and expand the other or opposite side air passage, thus assuring atleast one freely open air passage through the device at all times.

The above and other objects of this invention will be apparent from areading of the following description of an illustrative embodimentthereof as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the airway device of this inventionin place for use within a patients mouth and throat;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the airway device drawn on an enlargedscale;

FIG. 3 is an outer end elevation of the airway device;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line 4-4 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing effect of biting pressureexerted on the airway device which tends to close one air passage sidethereof, but, due to yielding and fulcrum action of the novel strutstructure, is effective to open and expand the opposite air passage sidethereof.

Like characters of reference are applied in the several gures of theabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the drawings, the airway device of this inventioncomprises an integral structure shaped to be received within the mouthand pharyngeal cavities of the patient to be served thereby; and to thisend, consists in a body 1() having an outer straight portion 10 to belocated within the patients mouth, and an upwardly bowed portion 10terminating in a downwardly directed curved inner end portion 10", thatis adapted to extend therefrom into the trachea area of the patientsthroat.

Said airway body includes a top wall 11 and a bottom wall 12 of suitablewidths. These top and bottom walls are spaced apart by intervening strutelements X of novel formation, and are disposed to extend, inlongitudinally spaced apart relation, along the length of the body andcentrally intermediate the side margins of the top and bottom walls 11and 12.

The airway body thus formed provides end to end open air passagechannels 13 and 14, respectively opening laterally outward alongopposite sides of the body.

At its outer end, the body 10 is provided with one or more stop anges15, which project angularly therefrom, and which, when the airway deviceis in use, are adapted to externally abut the lips of the patient, thusholding the device against inward displacement from its appliedoperative relation to the patients mouth and throat.

The strut elements X each comprise an upper portion 16 of substantiallytriangular cross-sectional shape, the base of which is adjoined to theinner surface of the body top wall 11, and a lower portion 17, also ofsubstantially triangular cross-sectional shape, the 4base of which isadjoined to the inner surface of the body bottom wall 12. Saidtriangular strut portions 16 and 17 have their apices opposed one to theother and joined to form a weakened connection or neck 18 ofsubstantially reduced cross-sectional area. This connection or neck 18is yieldable to leverage applied to the strut element by relativemovements of the walls 11 and 12 of the airway device, when the latterare forced by biting pressure exerted by the patient; thus the weakenedconnection or neck 18 serves as a fulcrum about which the relativelymove-d walls 11 and 12 may turn under such circumstances.

The base portions 16 and 17 may be disposed and opposed in a verticalmedial plane between the body walls 11 and 12, but it is preferablehowever that said base portions 16 and 17 be disposed and opposed in aplane oblique or diagonal to a vertical medial plane between the bodywalls 11 and 12, with the apical connection or neck nevertheless lyingin the aforesaid vertical medial plane (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The latterpreferred disposition of the strut elements X enables the top and bottomwalls 11 and 12, when relatively moved under biting pressure exerted bya patient, to more easily effect their leverage upon said strut elementX, whereby to cause the apical connection or neck 18 to yield to suchmovements, while nevertheless serving as a ulcrum about which said walls11 and 12 can turn (see FIG. 5).

It is preferable that a strut element X which is located at the junctureof the straight portion and the bowed portion 10 of the airway device beof greater length than that of the other outlying strut elements (seeFIG. 2), whereby to reinforce and strengthen the connection between thebody walls 11 and 12 at such point.

From the above, it will now be obvious that in event of uneven bitingpressure, applied to the airway device in use, tending to close togetherits top and bottom walls 11 and 12 at one side thereof, and thus toclose or constrict the air passage, e.g. 13, at such side, said wallswill turn about the fulcrum provided by strut elements, so that saidwalls will be spaced apart at the opposite side of the device, wherebyto hold open the opposite air passage channel, e.g. 14 (See FIG. 5), orvice versa. It will therefore be apparent that at least one open airpassage channel through the device is maintained at ali times, and thatan open passage for insertion of a suction tube therethrough is likewiseassured when required. It m'ay be further pointed out that should one ormore connections or necks 18 be broken through or breached under stressof biting pressure, the opposed base portions 16 and 17 will still tendto abut, and thus prevent total closing of air passage channels.

Owing to the longitudinally spaced apart relation of the novel strutelements X, it will be noted that openings or ports 19 are providedwhich afford communication between the side air passage channels 13 and14. This is of marked advantage since it more easily permits iiow offluids through the airway device, with less tendency of clogging the airpassage channels thereof.

The described conformation of the airway device, is, when the -device isin use, well adapted by its straight portion 10' to hold down thepatients tongue against obstructing of air ow to the trachea area whilethe upwardly bowed portion 10 and its downwardly curved end portion 10"is adapted to lift the epiglottis and straighten the tracheal curve soas to keep open the tracheal passages.

What is claimed is:

1. An airway device for introduction through a patients mouth to thetrachea area of the patients throat comprising, a body of suitablelongitudinal shape formed by spaced apart top and bottom walls ofsuitable width, said walls being connected by an intervening strutformation extending along a medial line froml end to end of the body,whereby to provide respective air passage channels extending from end toend of the body, and wherein the strut formation comprises a series oflongitudinally spaced apart strut elements, the spacing of whichprovides intercommunicating openings between the air passage channels,each strut element comprising an upper base portion of triangularcross-sectional shape having its base adjoined to the inner surface ofthe body top wall and a lower base portion also of triangularcross-sectional shape having its base adjoined to the inner surface ofthe body bottom wall, said base portions being opposed one to the otherwith their apices joined together, thereby forming an intermediateyieldable neck providing a fulcrurn about which the body top and bottomwalls can turn under biting pressure of the patients teeth.

2. An airway device according to claim 1, wherein the strut elements arediagonally positioned across a vertical medial plane intermediate thesides of the top and bottom walls.

3. An airway device for introduction through a patients mouth to thetrachea area of the patients throat comprising, a body of suitablelongitudinal shape formed by spaced apart top and bottom walls ofsuitable Width, said Walls being connected to a series of longitudinallyspaced apart strut elements extending along a medial line from end toend of the body, whereby to provide respective air passage channelsextending from end to end of the body and opening laterally outwardtherefrom at respective sides thereof, the spacing of said strutelements providing intercommunicating openings between said passagechannels, each strut element comprising an upper base portion oftriangular cross-sectional shape having its base adjoined to the innersurface of the body top wall and a lower base portion also of triangularcrosssectional shape having its base adjoined to the inner surface ofthe body bottom wall, said base portions being opposed one to the otherwith their apices joined together, thereby forming an intermediate neckportion to provide a fulcrum about which the top and ybottom walls canturn under biting pressure of the patients teeth, and said body havingat least one angularly projecting stop flange at its outer end toexternally abut the patients lips, whereby to hold the body againstinward displacement through the patients mouth.

4. An airway device according to claim 3, wherein the strut elements arediagonally positioned across a vertical medial plane intermediate thesides of the body top and bottom walls.

5. An airway device according to claim 3, wherein the body formationcomprises a straight outer end portion leading to an upwardly bowed midportion which terminates in a downwardly curved inner end portion, vandwherein a strut element at the juncture of said outer straight endportion and said upwardly bowed midportion is of greater length thanoutlying strut elements, whereby to reinforce the body at such juncture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,696,018 12/ 1928 Schellberg128-240 2,599,521 6/1952 Berman 12S-208 3,306,298 2/ 1967 Raimo 128-351FOREIGN PATENTS 1,348,518 12/ 1963 France.

88,138 8/1896 Germany.

DALTON L. TRULUCK, Primary Examiner.

